There's a Zombie on my lawn

Our blog has been on the serious side lately, so let us lighten things up...by telling you about our new computer game addiction! ;-) It's called Plants vs. Zombies.

Before you think we've lost our minds, let us explain...the game is decidedly NOT one of those violent, bloody ones, despite the involvement of zombies. Instead, you protect your house by fending off a variety of cartoon zombies (football players, zamboni drivers, bobsledders, etc.). With what weapons, you might ask? Why, plants like sunflowers that bop in time to the music, of course, and pea-shooters that clobber the undead with - you guessed it! - peas (either fresh or frozen). And all with an over-the-top cuteness factor. (And a serious addiction factor too!)

At the end of 50 adventure levels, you're treated to a music video called "There's a zombie on my lawn" which gets into your head just a little less stickily than "Achy Breaky Heart" did in years past. The song is sung by one of the smiling sunflowers, standing on a stage on your now-protected lawn, playing to a crowd of happy-as-they-get zombies. You can get a sneak-peak on the website, by clicking on Videos / Music Video.

Then there are all the puzzles that you unlock by being successful in the adventure levels. Who could forget wall-nut zombie bowling, or beghouled? If you love puns, you'll love this game!

We haven't found a game in years that amused, absorbed or made us laugh as much as this one does. And it only cost us $20 US, when we picked it up on our recent trip to North Dakota. You can also buy it online. Why not try a free download and let us know how you like it?

March 4th Radio Devotional

Here's our radio devotional for March 4th, by Julie. We've tried a smaller file format, so the download should be a lot faster now.

Click on the following link to download the audio file:  1st Kings 3:5-15 Solomon asks God for wisdom

Do real Canadians play hockey - or go curling?

Julie throws her hat into the ring(s), regarding the hockey vs. curling debate.

It seems to me that hockey doesn't fit the Canadian character. I don't mean the backyard, homegrown, friendly pond hockey of the game's origins. I mean hockey as it has become today - professionalized to the point that even small fry hockey players are required to pay exorbitant participation fees and travel hundreds of kilometres in competition, just to be part of a local team.

We Canadians are known worldwide as polite, deferential, socially caring and inclusive people.  (That's the positive side - the negative side is that we're also reserved to the point of creating false impressions, as well as being passive and having an inferiority complex. But that's another post and I digress...) This description of the Canadian identity is a stereotype, granted, and it doesn't necessarily apply to every Canadian on an individual basis. But it's easy to see the truth in it, when we look at our culture as a whole. 

What sport better fits us, then? Hockey or curling? Let's see how each jives with the four aspects of our national character, mentioned above. (Cue Jeopardy music here.)

1. Polite - curling is not violent or loud; hockey is both - and involves way too much Stompin' Tom music, in my opinion...but I was regaled with it as a child in my grandfather's truck, so perhaps I'm overreacting ;-)

2. Deferential - curling includes an orderly taking of turns, one at a time, with no clobbering of opponents; hockey involves outright competition to even have a go at the puck, let alone a shot at the goal, with checking and fights an accepted part of the game for most players

3. Socially caring - curling does not demand high registration fees, require much special equipment or demand extensive travel , so most can afford to play; hockey is so expensive for the players and travel so time-consuming for the parents that it is becoming an exclusive hobby as well as a stress-filled near-career for children

4. Inclusive - curling is a sport that people can play from childhood into middle and even old age, such that grandparents, parents and children could conceivably play successfully on the same team; hockey is very difficult to play safely as age advances, and age groups must be divided up to make it fair

It seems to me that curling wins this competition, and without anyone even having to go to the penalty box.

Canada did indeed take gold in both men's and women's hockey. But I think an equally laudable accomplishment is our teams' successes in curling. Our women brought home silver, while the (undefeated) men got gold. Now, there is something we can be proud of (although modestly, of course) as "real" Canadians.

March 3rd Radio Devotional

Here's our radio devotional for March 3rd, this time by Julie.

Click on the following link to download the audio file:  What is success? 1st Kings 2:1-4 by Julie

Steve Rants About Hockey

I (Steve) did not watch a single minute of Canada’s gold-medal-winning hockey game on Sunday. Nor did Julie. We are apparently part of a small minority. News reports today say 26.5 million Canadians watched at least part of the game. Out of a population of just under 34 million.


One reason I didn’t watch is that I no longer like hockey. Oh, I’ll go watch a parishioner play at the local rink a couple times a year. But on tv? Or spend $$ for a ticket? No thanks.

I was a big fan as a child. I still have a Canucks jersey in the closet, and many of my old hockey cards. And a table hockey game.

But I long ago tired of the violence in hockey. Epitomized in this quote: “You might spear a guy in the face, fight a guy, elbow a guy, slash a guy or just make a clean bodycheck... if they don’t know what I’m going to do, I hold the trump card.” So said Chris Pronger (Sports Illustrated, Dec 9, 2009 p.110), one of Canada’s Olympians. One of our representatives, one of our best players at “our game.”

Because nothing says “Canadian” like a sport that tolerates intentional attempts to injure...?

Backyard shinny on a frozen pond? That says ‘Canadian’ to me. And street hockey. But the game has become so organized, so rink-based. And the violence and anger constantly shocks me, with stories of parents fighting while their 15/16 year old kids play. Not so ‘Canadian’ I think.

Others have said (most recently Don Cherry, but you can ignore him) that if Canada had won 20 gold, but missed it in men’s (and women’s?) hockey, the Games would have been a failure. That’s how much the sport is “our game.”

Clearly I am out of step with the culture and country I live in. So tell me: Where should I live instead? For my fellow Canadians, it’s a chance to tell me “where to go,” a verbal high-sticking if you like. For international friends, make the case for why I should be in another part of the world.

March 2nd Radio Devotional

Here's our radio devotional for March 2nd: March 2 - God defies expectations

Steve and Julie's Radio Devotionals

As part of our membership in the Hudson Bay Ministerial Association (which includes ministers and priests in this area), we get to go on local radio twice per year. For these sessions, we've been working our way through the Old Testament, and we're on air with 5-minute devotionals from the adventures of the kings of Israel, in the book of 1st Kings, for the month of March. This is unfortunately a very little-known book, but it's one of our favourites. The stories read like a Hollywood adventure!

We'll be posting all the devotionals from this month, so check back every weekday for a new one. If you find them interesting, let us know, and we can post some from previous times on air.

To download the audio file, click on the link below. It will take a few minutes to load, so you may want to open another window and do something else while you wait. We hope you like these little thoughts for the day! :-)

Click on the link to listen to the devotional: 1st Kings 1 Devotional - Shaping Our Children